William Morris by Linda Parry

This major book is published to accompany the centenary exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum on William Morris (1834-96), the pioneer of the Arts and Crafts movement and perhaps the most influential designer in British history. With his Socialism, his artistic flair, his love of nature and respect for craftsmanship, he turned the tide of Victorian England against raw 'progress' towards a respect for traditional values, and left a legacy of work that permeated the very fabric of the English home.

William Morris was a true Renaissance man in that his interests and activities spanned an extraordinary range: he was a poet and writer, a politician, a conservationist and a businessman as well as a designer of brilliance and originality.

This book sets out to explore the balance between Morris's several spheres of influence, and to place his art in the context of its time. Its first half is devoted to Morris the man, exploring his activities in the various fields outlined above, and the second half concentrates on Morris the artist. Here we find essays on his interior schemes, his paintings, his calligraphy, his stained glass, his wall-papers, his textiles, his furniture, his tiles, and his work at the Kelmscott Press.

Never before has such a comprehensive study on Morris been published, and with its 560 illustrations and lavish design it will stand as the standard work on Morris long after the exhibition it commemorates is over.